Renzo Morandi Biography
Renzo Morandi was born in Sassuolo, in the province of Modena, in 1924. As a child, he moved to Ravenna where he demonstrated a precocious artistic talent in the workshop of the Galassi family, well-known artisans who dealt with decoration and finishing. In 1938, he was sent to Rome as the best painter-decorator in the province of Ravenna, thus obtaining official recognition of his artistic abilities.
Morandi began to dedicate himself to painting by frequenting the studio of Luigi Varoli in Cotignola, one of the protagonists of the so-called "Bassa" for the human and artistic aspects of his life. Varoli is also a teacher at the School of Arts and Crafts of Cotignola and at the School of Drawing of Massa Lombarda, as well as having graduated in double bass from the Royal Philharmonic Academy of Bologna in 1931. In 2002, he was recognized as "Righteous among the Nations" by the State of Israel for the humanitarian action carried out in favor of the Jews wanted by the Nazi-fascists after the armistice of 1943.
After the war, Morandi continued his intense exhibition activity, participating in numerous group exhibitions and obtaining numerous prizes and recognitions. His first solo exhibition was held in 1959 at the Ravenna Chamber of Commerce, while in the following decades he also exhibited in Rome, Milan, France and Australia. In 1995, he held a solo exhibition in Munich. In 2004, on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday, he was celebrated with anthological exhibitions both in Ravenna and Sassuolo. In 2011, a calendar was dedicated by the Cassa di Risparmio di Ravenna accompanied by the presentation of Franco Gàbici.
Morandi's painting remains faithful to the original figurative matrix, while experimenting with the new trends of contemporary art.
